Imprgvement



` .BUKNAMKL Patented Nov. 7,1871.

JoHN BURNHAM, oF YORK', MICHIGAN.

IMPRvEMEN-r IN BEE-Hives.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 120,709, dated November 7, 1871.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN BURNHAM, of York, in the county of Washtenaw and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Bee-Hives; and I do declare that the following is a true and accurate description thereof, reference being` had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and being a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l shows my invention in perspective, with the comb-guides drawn out from the body ofthe hive, and with the door open. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the sliding bottom with combguides removed, showin g the drawer in said bottom. Fig. 4 is a perspective of the comb-guide standard framefrom the rear. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the rear end of the drawer. Fig. 6 is a plan of the comb-guides in which the upper and lower sections are shown detached in order to show their connection.' Fig. 7 is a plan with cover removed, as also the honey-boxes. Fig. 8 is a View of the comb-guides with the upper sections removed, and a false top covering the comb-guides.'

Like letters refer to llike parts in each figure.

The natureof this invention relates to an improvement in the construction of bee-hives, so that said hives may be utilized for either weak or strong swarms, and in which robber bees may be caught and tamed. The invention consists, rst, in the arrangement of the devices for catching and taining the robber bees; second, in the combination of the devices for catching and tamingrobber bees with the comb-guides and false top, as more fully hereinafter described.

ln the accompanying drawing, A represents the body of the hive, which is composed of two vertical sides and a back resting upon and secured to an extended platform or bed, c. B is a top box, so arranged as to shut down over the top ends of the body of the hive, and to the back of which said box is hinged. This box is designed to receive honey-boxes, which are of the usual construction, and is provided with openings, b, in its bottom, coincident with corresponding openings in the bottompof the honey-boxes (not shown) for the passage of the bees into them from the body ofthe hive. A hipped roof, C, is hinged to this top box, and this roof is ventilated by means of the openings c, opposite each other in the gable ends. Two cam levers, D, are pivoted, one at each side of the hive, in such a manner that the overhang-in g sides of the top box B will rest upon the cam-shaped ends of the lever, and not allow the bottom of the said box to rest upon the top ends of the body of the hive, thereby avoiding crushing any bees which may be on said top ends. In case the box becomes glued or stuck to the body of the hive the cam-levers allow the operator to raise the box steadily and easily without alarming the bees. A trap, d, covers a small window through which the bees may be examined while at work in the honeyboxes in the box-top B. E is a box which is designed to lit the interior of the body of the hive, and form the bottom of the same.` This box is made to be withdrawn from the hive, as shown, upon guides or ways (not shown) on the extended platform a. A ledge, e, extends beyond the front end of this box; and f are openings, protected by propel' slides or gates g, allowing of the extrance and exit of bees to and from the body of the hive. Vhen the hive is threatened with visits from robber bees, the slides g should be closed and the slide g opened. This latter slide covers the opening It, which leads into a tube which runs rearward and downward into the drawer F, and the robber bees are caught in said drawer by entering through said tube, and linding no exit. A hole in the top of the box E, and covered by the gauze or grating h', furnishes facilities for feeding said robber bees until they become tamed and accustomed to the hive, when the drawer may be pulled out a tritle, when they will find an exit therefrom through the hole c' in the rear end of said drawerl into the box E, and thence through the holes k into the body of the hive, where they will `join and become working members of the swarm. Secured to and supported by the box E, at its rear end, is the standard-frame G, upon which are hung the combguides, the box and frame G, with the combguides, being designed to iill the interior of the body of the hive when the latter is closed by the door H, or to be withdrawn, when desired, and as shown in Fig. l. The whole should be so arranged that when in place and the door closed, there should be a small space between the standard and the rear side of the hive for the free` passage of the bees from one part of the hive to the other. I are comb-guides or frames, pivoted by means of eyes, m, to the hooks n, secured to the lower and intermediate cross-bars of the standard-frame. J are similar but smaller combguides, pivoted by means of the hooks o to the staples r secured to the upper cross-bar of said standard-frame. Projecting from the lower corners of these latter comb-guides are the pins s, which are designed, when all the comb-guides are in place, to engage with the upper corners of the guides I.

When the swarm is weak and too few in uumbers to work advantageously in the full hive, the comb-guides J may be removed and a tightlyfitting cover, K, placed on top of the lower series of comb-guides I, thereby diminishing the space wh erein the bees are at work. After these guides are lled, should there be time, or should the swarm improve in strength, the cover K may be removed and the upper section of comb-guides J be replaced. With a hive constructed as above described no difficulty need be apprehended from robber bees, the hive may be examined, honey removed, when desired, and the bees handled without danger.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the box E provided with ingress-pipe. h, feeding-hole covered by gauze h', and exit-openings k, with the drawer F provided with opening1 i, when arranged in a bee'hive substantially as described, and for the purposes set.

forth.

J OHN BURNHAM. Witnesses: MYRON H. CHURCH,

CHARLES J. HUNT. (9) 

